Cattle-guard.



N0.'786,1'71. 1 PATBNTED MAR.28, 1905.

G. W. STBGALL.

CATTLE GUARD.

APPLmATvIoN FILED SEPT. 2o, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 1.

No. 786,171. PATENTED MAR. 28, 1905.

G. W. STEGALL. CATTLE GUARD.

APPLIUATION FILED SEPT. zo, 1904.

2 SHEETS-SHEET 2.

@wi tnaooeo MX@ UNITED STATES Patented March 28, 1905 PATENT OFFICE.

CATTLE-GUARD.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 786,171, dated March 28, 1905.

Application filed September 20, 1904. Serial No. 225,195.

To all whom t may concern.-

Be it known that I, GEORGE WASHINGTON S'IEGALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Paris, in the county of Henry and State of Tennessee, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Cattle-Guards; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, su ch as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same.

My invention is an improvement upon those cattle-guards for railroad-*tracks which are designed to prevent the encroachment of animals at fence-crossings and which comprise sheet-metal strips formed with rows of teeth struck up from the strips.

One object of my invention is to provide a cattle-guard in which the sheet-metal strips can be made continuous and adapted to seat upon and fit between the ties and the intermediate supports for the strips.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cattle-guard in which the sheet-metal strips can be made with rows of teeth located at different elevations between and above the ties and the intermediate supports lfor the strips.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cattle-guard in which the sheet-metal strips can be made with depressed parts at regular intervals, from which the rows of teeth project longitudinally and upwardly.

Another object of my invention is to provide a cattle-guard in which the sheet-metal strips are so formed as to interlock with the middle tie and intermediate supports.

With these and other objects in vieW for the improvement of such cattle-guards my invention consists in novel features of construction, as hereinafter described and claimed.

In order that my invention may be fully understood, I Will proceed to describe it with reference to the accompanying drawings, in

line 4 4 of Fig. 3. Fig. 5 is adetail plan View of a fragment of a depressed part.

10 represents the rails, and 1l the ties, of a part of an ordinary railroad-track located ata fence-crossing.

12 represents intermediate supports located between the ties, having their tops inclined toward the `middle tie 11. Upon these ties and supports I place my improved guard, which comprises a pair of inner strips 13 and a pair of outer strips 14. Each of these strips is preferably made of solid sheet metal, such as wrought iron or steel, of about one-eighth of an inch in thickness, twenty-six inches in width, and from six to eight feet in length, and they are each formed with series of trans- \erselyarranged depressed parts of acuteangIe shape in cross-section and extending in opposite directions toward the end of the strip.

Each depressed part has, therefore, a vertical wall 15 and an inclined body I6, provided with a plain part17, secured to the inclined faces of the supports and end ties.

18 represents sunken and elevated rows of teeth of preferably triangular shape struck up from the body of each depressed part and preferably curved toward the ends of the strip, while 19 is a row of teeth, also preferably of triangular shape and struck up from the vertical wall of each depressed part and extending in a longitudinal direction.

2O is the central part of the strip, which caps the top of the middle tie and is formed with two rows of vertically-arranged staggered teeth 2l struck'up from the central part.

It will be seen that the central part and the vertical walls of the adjacent depressed parts provide a rigid interlock between the strip and the middle tie, while the vertical walls of the other depressed parts fit against the front sides of the intermediate supports.

It will be understood that the description of one strip applies to all the other strips, as they are similar in construction.

The dimensions of the teeth of the depressed parts may be varied at will; but I prefer to make them approximately four inches long by two and one-half inches wide at the base, leaving a space of about two inches between. The teeth of the central part are preferably IOO about three inches long and two and one-half inches wide at the base and two inches apart.

Among the advantages arising from the construction of my sheet-metal strips it will be seen that they can be readily applied and removed and are firmly held between the ties and intermediate supports by the depressed parts. The rows of teeth projecting in different directions and at different yelevations provide a more perfect obstruction than those strips in which the points of the teeth are located approximately in the same plane.

Having thus described my invention, the following is what I claim and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

l. A cattle-guard strip. made of sheet metal and formed with series of transversely-arranged depressed parts, each having a row oi longitudinally-extending teeth, a sunken row o'f upwardly-extending teeth in the body, and an elevated row of teeth.

2. A cattle-guard strip,made ol sheet metal, and formed with series of transversely-ai ranged depressed parts, each ha\f*ing a row of longitudinally-exteniling teeth, a sunken row oil upwardly-extending teeth in the body, an elevated row of teeth at the front, and a plain part located between the longitudinally-extending and the elevated rows ot' teeth.

3. A cattle-guard strip, made of sheeti'netal. and formed with a central part having rows of vertically-arranged teeth, and series of transversely-arranged depressed parts, extending in opposite directions from the central part, each having a row ol longitudinally-extending teeth, a sunken row of upwardly-extending teeth in the body, an elevated row of teeth, and a plain part located between the longitudinally-extending` and elevated rows of teeth.

4. A cattle-guard strip, made ot' sheet metal, and formed with series of transversely-arranged depressed parts, of acute-angle shape in cross-section, each having a row of longitudinally-extending teeth struck up therefrom, a sunken row of upwardly extending teeth struck up from the body, and an elevated row of teeth struck up therefrom.

5. A cattle-guard strip, made of sheet metal, and formed with series of transversely-arranged depressed parts, of acute-angle shape in cross-section, each having a row of longitudinally-extending teeth struck up therefrom, a sunken row of upwardly extending teeth struck up from the body, an elevated row of teeth struck up therefrom, and a plain part located between the longitudinally-extending and elevated rows of teeth.

6. A cattle-guard strip, made of sheet metal, and formed with a central part having rows ot' vertically-arranged teeth struck up therefrom, and series of transversely-arranged depressed parts of acute-angle shape in crosssection and extending in opposite directions from the central part, each having a row of longitudinally extending teeth struck up therefrom, a sunken row of upwardly-extending teeth struck up from the body, an elevated row of teeth struck up therefrom and a plain part located between the long'itudinally-extending and elevated rows of teeth.

7. The combination, with the ties and the rails supported upon the ties, of the intermediate supports having inclined tops, and a cattle -guard strip, made of sheet metal, and vformed with a central part having rows ot' vertically-arranged teeth and located upon the middle tie and series of transversely-arranged depressed parts located between the ties and supports and extending in opposite directions from the central part, each having a row of longitudinally-extending teeth, a sunken row of upwardly-extending teeth in the body, an elevated row of teeth, and plain parts located between the longitudinally-extending and elevated rows of teeth and seating upon the inclined tops of the intermediate supports and end ties. A

In testimony whereof I aflix my signature in presence of two witnesses.

GEORGE WASHINGTON STEGALL.

Vitnesses:

WYLIE WARD-FARNLEIGH, JOHN CALVIN SWEENEY, J r. 

